


Moving in, Moving up

by pikasafire



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-12
Updated: 2013-02-12
Packaged: 2017-11-29 01:43:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/681266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikasafire/pseuds/pikasafire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Schenn brothers make the worst housemates; Claude can't take it anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving in, Moving up

*

It's Sean who asks. Danny was content to politely ignore the whole situation until Claude brought it up himself.

"So, Claude. You want your old room back or what?"

Claude doesn't look up from where he's cutting up tomatoes for the salad. "What?"

"Your room." Sean says, like it's obvious, "You're moving back in, right? I mean, you're here more than you're home."

"Claude's moving back in?" Carson asks, wandering into the kitchen, stealing a slice of tomato from the chopping board.

"Don't grab," Claude scolds, "I might cut your fingers."

Carson rolls his eyes. "You moving back?" He asks again when an answer doesn't seem forthcoming.

Claude frowns, "No, I live with Brayden. Go get your brothers, dinner's almost ready. You guys can set the table."

"And Luke." Sean points out. "But you're never there."

"I go home." Claude objects, "I'm at home all the time."

Sean looks at him like he's stupid. "Yeah? When was the last time you did anything other than sleep there?" Claude opens his mouth, considers, and closes it. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Sean says smugly, "Brayden actually asked me if you'd moved out and not told him."

"Yeah, well. The Schenns are annoying. Brayden was annoying enough on his own. Schenn squared is unbearable."

"More annoying than us?" Caelan says, catching the last bit of the conversation as the boys crowd around the table like little vultures.

"You guys aren't annoying." Claude says automatically.

"Yeah we are," Caelan says, "it's, like, our job. That's what kids _do_."

"Well, I can send you to your room at least." Claude allows. "I can't do that to the Schenns. Or, I could try, but they'd probably just laugh."

"No, you can't," Cameron says, "only Dad can do that."

"I'm pretty sure your Dad would let me." Claude shoots back, "Right Danny?"

Danny's been watching the whole conversation with amusement and he holds his hands up in defence, "Whoa, I'm totally not entering this discussion."

Sean sighs, moves to the fridge to pull out the salad dressing. "I just want to know whether I have to start looking for somewhere else to live."

"You can live with the Schenns," Cameron suggests. "We'll trade you for Claude."

"...Thanks." Sean says, sounding put out, "Shouldn't you guys be setting the table?"

Danny rolls his eyes, "I'm not going to kick you out, Sean." Danny says, placatingly. "You can live here as long as you like."

"But where's Claude going to sleep?" Carson asks.

"I'm not moving back in," Claude says, but it falls on deaf ears.

"I could move into Carson's room," Cameron suggests, "We can share."

Carson wrinkles his nose, "No way." He thinks for a moment, "Claude can just sleep in with Dad." he decides, shooting a sly look over at his father.

Danny chokes a little on his coffee, knows his face is red. "Guys, how about you finish setting the table, please. Dinner's about to be served. Claude's said he's not moving back in, drop it."

The boys are silent for a few blessed moments as everyone scrambles to grab food and a seat at the table.

"Claude, you can have Cam's room," Caelan says, "Him moving in with Carson is an awesome idea."

"Maybe I'll take your room," Claude suggests, "You can move in with Coots."

"No way! Sean's room stinks."

"Yours doesn't exactly smell like roses," Sean shoots back, flicking a pea across the table at him.

Claude grins, "Fine. You can live in the garage."

"Can we do it up?" Caelan asks excitedly.

"No way," Claude says, "You can sleep in the car. Use the work bench for your besk. The tool cupboard for your closet." He grins, "It'll be great."

Caelan gives him a withering look, "That's just stupid."

"Don't call me stupid or I'll send you to your new room," Claude teases.

"Claude, stop riling Calean or I'll send _you_ to your room," Danny says absently, putting another spoonful of salad on Cameron's plate. "Cam, eat some greens, please."

"But, Claude doesn't _have_ a room." Caelan says, "That's the whole _point_ of this argument."

"Fine, I'll go to my room," Claude says mock-huffily, starting to stand. "Back at _my house_."

Danny grabs his arm, "Don't be stupid," he says. "Sit back down and eat your dinner. Boys, stop harassing him. Claude doesn't have to move back in, he's a grown up and can make his own decisions."

There's mutinous muttering, but Sean starts arguing with Caelan about NHL13 and they all quiet down, Claude eating sulkily until Danny kicks him lightly under the table, grinning at him.

"Letting my kids get to you?"

"Still less annoying than the Schenns," Claude mutters, but he's smiling. 

*  
Perhaps it's stupid, but he cant stop thinking about it. Maybe he _does_ spend too much time at Danny's.

Claude decides to actually go home after practice rather than straight to Danny's, and it feels weird to be turning left rather than right, to be heading to his messy apartment rather than Danny's house. Maybe Sean had a point.

Luke and Brayden are already there by the time Claude makes it home, and they freeze from where they're wrestling on the floor, Luke trying to rub Brayden's face into the carpet.

"Who are you?" Luke demands, "You don't live here."

"Ha fucking ha." Claude says, rolling his eyes and heading to the kitchen for a snack.

"No, seriously." Brayden shouts, voice muffled, "Did you and Danny have a fight or something. You're never home."

"They were talking in practice," Luke says. "Must've argued after we left."

There's the sounds of a scuffle, a yelp and a few choice swear words, and Brayden appears in the kitchen, hair sticking up all over the place. "Why are you here?"

"I live here." Claude points out.

"No, you don't." Brayden says, matter of fact. "You live with Danny."

It must be a goddamn conspiracy to make him homeless or something. "I'm pretty sure it's my name on the lease, man." He points out.

Brayden waves it off and shrugs, "Yeah, it's a technicality."

Claude rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Where's the pizza?"

"Ate it." Brayden says, unrepentant. "You can't leave shit like that unattended. You know that."

"What about the Chinese food?" He knows he left some in here after lunch the other day.

"Ate that too."

Jesus. "Fine, I'll have toast."

"Luke ate the last of that. Sorry." Brayden says, not sounding sorry in the slightest.

"Jesus fucking Christ, you guys are like locusts."

Luke walks in, rubbing his arm, "That's not very nice." He says, "You shouldn't leave food lying around. We're growing boys."

Fuck this. "I'm going to Danny's."

*

Claude lets himself in with his key, doesn't bother knocking. He heads towards the lounge and throws himself sulkily on the couch next to Danny. "Danny," it's perilously close to a whine, "The Schenns ate all the food."

Danny rolls his eyes, "There's a plate of lasagne made up in the fridge for you." he says, "We were expecting you for dinner. The boys were disappointed."

"If by 'disappointed', you mean 'tried to start World War Three'" Sean mutters from the couch, "They kept fighting over which one of them pissed you off and made you not come around." 

"Feeling unloved are you, Coots?"

"No way am I signing on to be second Dad to those monsters. You're welcome to that job." He catches the expression on Danny's face, "And by monsters, I mean lovely, sweet angels." He adds hastily. He pauses, "You know what, I think I'm just going to go to bed." He levers himself out of his chair, waves a vague hand in their direction. "Catch you guys in the morning."

Claude's not entirely sure what to do with the assumption that he'll be there in the morning. He does tend to sleep over a lot, curled up on the super comfy couch in the lounge and the thought that it's a given makes him feel uncomfortable. He does spend too much time here. It's that little pipe dream, perhaps not nearly as hidden as he'd hoped.

"Does it bother you?" Claude says abruptly, covering his discomfort by fiddling with the worn label on one of the cushions. "Me being over here all the time, I mean?"

Danny looks over at him like he's grown a second head. "Why would it bother me?"

Claude shrugs, "I don't know. You have your own life, I guess."

There's a pause, a frown on Danny's face as he searches for the words, "Claude," he says, turning in his seat a little to face him properly. "You know you're family, right?"

"It's not-"

"No," Danny interrupts, "You are. You're always welcome. Whether it's for a night or a year, or whatever. The boys love having you here. _I_ love having you here."

"I-" He's awkward and uncomfortable, "Um. Yeah, okay."

"Not 'yeah, okay,'" Danny says, "I mean it." He's blushing and Claude's not entirely sure what to do with his hands, or where to look. There's an awkward silence. "Did you want to move back in?" Danny asks, rushed words running together.

"What?" Claude looks at him,

"I mean, if you want. You don't have to. I know the boys are a lot to take and it makes for a noisy house. But, if you wanted to, you can. I want you to know that."

"I don't have a bedroom anymore." Claude says. It's the only thing he can think of.

Another pause, "You could-" Danny breaks off, voice shaking a little, not quite looking at him, "You could share mine."

"What?" Claude stares at him. He must've heard that wrong. There's no way-

"Nothing." Danny mutters, face red. He moves to stand, "It's nothing. I -"

"No." Claude catches his arm as he moves, "Are you serious?" Danny looks uncertain and Claude tugs him a little closer, "Do you mean it?"

Danny meets his eyes, half terrified, half hopeful. "Yeah, of course."

"Oh, thank God." Claude breathes, and kisses him.

*

Carson bangs on Danny's bedroom door the next morning, "Claude! There's stuff here for you!"

"Wha-?" Claude groans, shoving his head under a pillow, "Oh, God. Why are your children so loud?"

"How do they know you're in here?" Danny says, half-asleep. "That's the real question."

Claude cracks an eye open, "They're not stupid, Danny." He kicks the blankets off, "What the hell is getting sent _here_?"

There's fifteen boxes on the porch, the boys crowded around them and Claude takes one look at the pile and scowls, "I am going to fucking kill them." He says, pulling a post-it off the box closest to the door and shoving it at Danny.

"Claude," Danny reads, "Here's your stuff. We packed it for you because we're awesome. Have fun in your love nest. Love Luke and Brayden." He raises an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

"What's a love nest?" Cameron asks.

There's another post it note on a box to the side, "We kept your _High School Musical_ DVD," Caelan reads out loud. He looks at Claude incredulously. "Are you serious?" He turns his attention back to the note, "They say they're not sorry."

"Oh, I am going to _end_ them."

Sean stumbles outside, looking half asleep and more than a little confused. "What's going on?" He asks, seeing the boxes. He looks over at Claude, the way Danny's standing maybe just a little bit too close. "Oh, God." He groans, "Please tell me I don't have to go live with the Schenns."

*

END


End file.
